Joker meets Maijin Buu
by awkvetha
Summary: When the Joker is granted unimaginable power, there's only one person that can stop him.
1. Chapter 1

The man stepped out of the sphere and looked around. Everything felt different here - brighter, perhaps. Maybe that was because he was used to being out at night. How ironic, he thought, that everything should look so happy on the day the world went to Hell.

A smile crept across the Joker's face. Good, he thought. They'll never know what hit them.

* * *

One dead guard. Two. Three. Batman didn't like the look of this. Dead bodies were never a good sign. Especially in a high-tech facility. And especially when that facility was part of Wayne Enterprises.

Wait. All the guards were smiling.

Perhaps it was gullible of him to think that Arkham could hold the Joker for more than a month. How expensive would it be to found an asylum himself? Perhaps not much, but it was more the thought of incorruptible staff that Batman was interested in. And that was something that money couldn't buy.

Perhaps when Dick could finally manage Gotham alone he could settle down and play the money games. That would be at least ten years though, maybe more. If only Dick wasn't such a playboy.

That door wasn't supposed to be open.

No signs anywhere of forced entry. He turned on his built-in infrared scanner. Nothing. According to the Wayne Enterprises database, the last entry was...Michael Tyler. A high level scientist. Bruce had spoken to him only last Wednesday. Batman pushed the door open. A solitary light flickered on and off.

There. What was that glint on the floor? It was...blood. And a body. Tyler. At least, that was what his badge said. The face didn't even look like a human anymore.

What was in here that the Joker would want? Wait...if this was that room, then...but how could he have known?

Someone was coming.

Batman dragged the door closed and stepped backwards to merge with the shadows. By the time the mess was found, he would be long gone.

* * *

The Joker stepped over a rock and surveyed the massive destruction before him. Really, he thought, this much destruction should at least come with a body or two.

Now, if those records of that Wayne fellow were worth anything, it should be here in around five minutes or so. Good thing he brought a packed lunch.

Four minutes.

Three.

Two.

One.

The silence was split with the sound of a sonic boom as a pink blur flashed past. The Joker barely had time to put his hands over his ears to avoid serious damage. Not that it would matter if the plan worked.

There was a growl from behind him. He turned to see two red eyes staring at him from what looked like a mass of pink clay. This must be him. The Joker smiled. "Hello," he said. "I have a proposition for you."

"I could eat you," said the thing. He was trying intimidation. How cute.

"Ah, yes," said the Joker, smiling. "I'd hoped you'd catch on. I should warn you though, I may taste...well...funny." He doubled over in laughter at his own joke. "Seriously though, I really would like to introduce myself first. I never go to dinner with people I don't know. You may call me the Joker. Everyone else does, anyway. And you!" He took grasped the pink creature's hand. "We haven't been introduced but I've heard about you. I believe your name is Buu?"


	2. Chapter 2

"This way, Mr. Wayne."

"What did they take?"

"Nothing, sir, but there was a large power spike inside the room last night."

"Do we know who did this?"

"We're not sure sir."

Liar, thought Bruce Wayne. It's obvious from the bodies alone. You just don't want to admit it.

"Actually, sir, you seem to have gotten lucky this time."

"I wouldn't call eight dead staff members 'lucky', Mr. Bullock."

"Well...you know...you big shots don't usually care."

"Thank you, Mr. Bullock. I'd like to access my laboratory, if you don't mind."

Bullock paused. "Of course, Mr. Wayne," he muttered, before trudging out the door.

What a disagreeable man, thought Bruce. If he didn't insist on chasing the Batman down like a common criminal, perhaps he might actually do some good on the force.

After all, the Batman was no common criminal. Just an uncommon one.

He placed his hand on a large industrial refrigerator. There was a quiet beep from somewhere behind the walls. Then the refrigerator slid sideways to reveal a room filled with what looked to be computers. At the very centre was a platform that seemed almost alien in design. That should have been all. But it wasn't.

Hovering over the platform was a glowing orb that shimmered and rippled as if it were alive. Bruce looked straight into it. The Joker probably used this. How had he known?

Good thing he brought a spare costume with him. There was work to do.

* * *

Vegeta surveyed the landscape with a solid expression. "There! There it is!" he yelled suddenly, and darted forward to investigate further.

"Vegeta! Wait for the others! We don't know what we're getting into!" shouted Goku, who had just appeared over the ridge. He sped forward to try to keep up with the Saiyan prince. He saw Vegeta up ahead. He had stopped on the edge of a large crater and was staring down into it.

"What is it?" asked Goku, coming up beside him. He didn't have to hear the answer.

Inside the crater was Buu. Or at least, what looked like Buu. It was convulsing violently on the floor and foaming at the mouth. Its hands clawed the rock around it leaving great marks everywhere. No longer was this the confidant and collected creature they had fought only minutes ago. This was a sorry suffering animal brought down to earth. It almost seemed...sick.

In the blink of an eye, the convulsions stopped. Buu stood up, sighed in what seemed like relief and turned to face them. Except that wasn't Buu.

The creature now facing them was pale - almost white. Its eyes were still a solid red colour, but the rage was replaced by a serenity that almost covered a wild insanity. The antenna that had once graced its head was now what looked like many tiny green spikes - almost like...hair. The thing that stuck out the most, though, was its mouth. It had stretched into what looked like the most grotesque smile Goku had ever seen. Then the creature spoke.

"Huh. So I'm in control now," it said. "Looks like that Buu character couldn't take a joke."

* * *

Batman slipped through the debris along the tracks Joker had left behind. Cotton candy, the head of a stuffed bear - it was almost as if he wanted to be found. Knowing the Joker, he probably did.

BOOM!

Batman dodged behind a rock. That noise had come from over there in that big crater. He looked around to see what was happening. There was a tiny figure floating in the air holding what appeared to be a small man by his hair and punching him repeatedly. No, stabbing him. Batman pulled out a pair of heat-detecting binoculars and scanned the area. There were a few heat signatures but they were all dying fast. Probably just bodies. He looked back at the smaller man. It had been thrown aside and now lay in a pool of blood on the ground.

Then Batman heard a laugh that he knew all too well. The Joker. He looked at the figure. Yes, there was no mistaking it.

The creature screamed and a hole seemed to appear out of nowhere. Batman couldn't see much but he didn't need to. There was no mistaking that skyline. The Joker was back in Gotham.

He knew exactly what he had to do now.


	3. Chapter 3

It was just another ordinary night for Dick Grayson. Well, at least as ordinary as it got for him. Actually, no one could ever call the idea of being Nightwing 'ordinary'.

Forget it, thought Dick. No point in trying to make myself seem any less strange than I already am. The only person who could possibly be stranger would be the Dark Knight himself, and Dick was going to take over the cape and cowl as soon as the old man stepped down. Hopefully he wouldn't wait too long. There's only so much luck you can expect before it catches up with you.

He'd kill me if he knew I was thinking like this, thought Dick. Sentiment wasn't exactly number one for his mentor.

A flash! Or had he imagined it? He tried to put it out of his mind. It may have been simply lightning. No, there were no clouds.

Another flash. This time he was sure. Perhaps it was another member of the Justice League in some struggle with a demon or a god or some alien creature. Maybe there'd be a bit of action. Or maybe he'd even get it all to himself. If he was quick.

In less than a second he was off.

* * *

"Dende."

Dende spun around, shocked that anyone had been able to sneak up on him like that. What he saw didn't help him. A man in a great black cloak towered over him ominously. He was perfectly still, as if he had been there for hours, and it unnerved Dende.

"S-Stay back!" he shouted.

"Relax," said the man in black. "I won't hurt you. I'm here to deal with a small problem. You had an intruder."

"He took Buu!" said Dende. "He took that monster away. But...he...he killed my friends first."

"Listen, Dende," said the man. "I need your help."

"How do you know my name?" asked Dende.

"I've been researching all of you 'Z fighters' to see what you can do," replied the man. "I managed to tear a small hole between my world and yours using a very powerful object. A box. But that's not important."

"Why have you been watching us?" Now that Dende was more calm, his mind seemed to be flooded with questions.

"I was watching one of your heroes - the one you call Goku - because I hoped he might prove to be a counterbalance to someone powerful should anything happen. Actually, that's what I wanted to see you about. I want to borrow Goku."

"He's...he's dead."

"I know, but you can fix that, can't you?"

"The Dragonballs." Dende knew what he had meant, but he felt reluctant to hand over such a powerful force to this man. At the same time, there was something...good about him. Dende decided that he would trust him.

"Where can I find them?" asked the man in black.

"Over there." Dende pointed towards Master Roshi's house. "You can get Mr. Popo to take you there on his magic carpet. I've got to warn you though," he added, turning back to the man, "he may not..." His thought trailed away into nothing. The man in black had vanished without a trace.

* * *

"Joker, if this is another one of your plans, it's over," said Nightwing.

The Joker turned to face him. "Oh dear!" he cackled. "What gave me away?"

"That would be your ego," shouted Nightwing as he ran towards the Joker and delivered a punch straight to his nose.

But the Joker didn't move.

Strange, thought Nightwing as he nursed his hand, I don't remember him being that strong.

ZAP! The Joker was gone.

Nightwing had the slightest of moments to grasp what had happened before he heard the Joker's voice behind him. "Other way dearie," it said. Nightwing spun around and saw - nothing. How? Nothing was that quick. Except Wally.

"Surprise!" shouted the Joker. He was behind him again. Nightwing spun to face him again. He was feeling slow. That was new. Where was Batman when you needed him?

"I've picked up a few new tricks," said the Joker. "I'm faster now. And stronger. You know, they were right when they said you don't know what you're missing till you try it!"

"No time for this," muttered Nightwing. He threw a smoke grenade. Within two seconds, everything was clouded in thick grey clouds.

Okay, move, thought Nightwing. Batman always said smoke grenade, then move. That's when people start shooting. Now listen to the sounds and make a judgement...

An arm extended almost out of nowhere and grabbed his throat. "Got you!" screamed the Joker. "Oh, you thought you could hide with a smoke grenade, did you?" He laughed. "So sorry, my dear little Robin," he said, "but I can feel people's energy now. Oh, and by the way, when daddy gets home, give him a message, would you?" His voice suddenly turned into a snarl. "Tell him the Joker's back in town!"

The Joker lifted off the ground and suddenly, he was gone. Nightwing looked into the sky where he had been and wondered what had happened. Then he pushed himself up and moved on.

At least that's what he tried to do. Something was off though. He seemed...off balance. He looked down.

His arms were missing.

For the second time in his life, Dick Grayson felt as though the world had collapsed around him.


	4. Chapter 4

Goku opened his eyes. What had happened? He had been here, then...Buu!

He leaped to his feet, ready for action. Wait...this wasn't where he was before. No, that's right. He had died. So he must have been resurrected by the Dragonballs. That would be Master Roshi's doing. How had he found out that quickly? Goku had barely had time to visit King Kai at the end of Snake Way!

Ah, well, so long as they had found out. That was the important thing. He started to look around the room. Perhaps there was food in here somewhere.

"Goku," said a voice. It was coming from the speakers around the room.

"If you're hearing this, I've resurrected you using the Dragonballs," said the voice. "You don't know me, but you will soon. For now, that's all you need to know." There was a pause. Then a reluctant sigh. "There should be a kitchen behind the red door. Please help yourself to food."

Click.

Goku checked the red door like the voice had said. What he saw left him in awe. He had never seen so much food in his life.

* * *

It must have been twenty minutes later that he noticed the man standing behind him. "I see you got my message," he said.

So this must be the owner of the voice.

Goku rose to his feet and bowed. "Thank you for feeding me," he said. "This is really good food!"

"You're not scared of me," said the man. His face bore no expression, but there was a slight incredulity in his voice.

"No," replied Goku, "I don't sense a threat from you. It did bother me, though...how did you mask your power levels?"

The man smiled. "Learned it in Tibet," he muttered.

The door slid open and a man ran in. He didn't have any arms and the stumps were dripping with blood.

"Batman!" he shouted.

"Nightwing!" said Batman. "What happened?"

"It's the Joker!" said the man called Nightwing. "He's got some new battle suit. I don't know what it's made of and I couldn't find a weakness. He took..." A tear rolled down his cheek. "He took my arms, Bru-"

"Let's get you to a hospital," Batman interrupted quickly. He was already bandaging the stumps with shreds of material from his cape.

"Nice to meet you," said Nightwing, just now noticing Goku. "I'd shake your hand, but..." He smiled, but his eyes were swimming.

"Nice to meet you too," said Goku. "You know, if you want to regrow your arms, you could just use the Dragonballs."

Before Nightwing could ask what Goku was talking about, Batman interrupted. "How did you get here?" he asked.

"Hal Jor- uh, GL," said Nightwing. "He gave me a lift."

"Where is he now?" asked Batman.

"Gone ahead," said Nightwing. "He's going to take down the Joker."

Batman frowned. "He won't be able to," he said.


	5. Chapter 5

Cigarette. Gordon needed a cigarette.

No, stick with the gum, he thought. If Barbara smelled smoke she'd kill him. He pulled a stick from the packet on his desk and stuck it in his mouth. Then he went back to the file on his desk.

Another murder. A street cleaner who had been walking home from work had ended up with a bullet in his head. The reason it bugged Gordon so much was because this street cleaner had been feeding him information for the last five months. And as if that wasn't enough, now the evidence had gone missing. And of course, nobody knew anything.

A young policeman ran past his desk, scattering several papers. He didn't stop - either he didn't know what he had done or he didn't care.

Much like this murderer, thought Gordon as he collected the scattered sheets. That was Gotham's problem - nobody cared enough to do anything. Nobody except the Batman. And nobody had heard from him in several days. He could really use his help on this case.

Three more officers ran past his desk. Something must be happening downtown. Probably some kind of car chase. Or a hostage situation. Yeah, that was probably it. Either way, Gordon should be involved.

He put the file back into his top drawer and started out to the front. About halfway there he ran into Bullock.

"Hey Gordon, wrong way," he said. "You gotta come with me."

"Nonsense," said Gordon. "What's all this ruckus about?"

Now he really needed a cigarette.

"Gordon! Come on! We gotta get outta here!" shouted Bullock. "It's the Joker! He's finally surfaced!"

"Where?" said Gordon.

Bullock grimaced. "Just out there," he said, pointing to one of the windows.

Gordon rushed over and looked out. What he saw caught him completely off guard.

The Joker sat in the middle of a circle of officers, handcuffed. Several bodies in police uniform surrounded him. The officers had their guns trained on him from behind their circle of cars, and a cluster of policemen armed with shotguns trained on the Joker were moving towards the only gap in the line.

"What do you want, Joker?" shouted Gordon.

At the sound of his voice the Joker seemed to come alive. "Ah, Commissioner!" he squeeled. "Just the man I wanted to see! I've got an idea for a dragon-themed police benefit ball. You do seem to love those things."

"We don't want any of your help here Joker!" shouted Gordon. He didn't like this situation one little bit.

"Oh, but you haven't seen any of my plans yet!" gushed the Joker. "Trust me," he continued, smiling horribly, "it'll bring the house down!"

With a sickening feeling Gordon realised what was going to happen. "Everyone, fall back!" he yelled, as the Joker's hands began to glow. Gordon grabbed Bullock and ran for cover. Any second now the building would come crumbling down. He shoved Bullock under a table and dived under another one himself.

BOOM!

Smoke filled the room but the building didn't crumble. Had something gone wrong? Perhaps it was all a ruse to buy the Joker some time. What could he be planning?

Gordon ran to the window and looked out. The smoke was still too thick to see what had happened, but the building didn't seem to be harmed. Actually, the explosion seemed to have come from just in front of it. He strained his eyes, trying to see what had happened. There was the Joker coughing and waving away the smoke. He looked almost surprised that the building was still there. So what had happened?

There! What was that? Right in the middle of the dust cloud was a green glow. The Joker took a deep breath and blew a terrific gale. The smoke cleared.

There was a green shield in the middle of the street.

The Green Lantern was here.

* * *

"You! Goku!"

"Me?"

"See another Goku here?" replied Batman as he punched a button on his belt. "Come on. We need to talk."

The wall opened up and he led Goku into an elevator that brought them down to the SB level. "Sub-basement," Batman said when Goku asked about it.

The elevator opened onto a long corridor that looked like it hadn't been used in decades. The walls were damp and a couple of mice scurried away when they approached. When they had walked about twenty paces, Batman stopped.

"Brace yourself," he said.

With a jolt, the floor began moving. It crept forward slowly at first but gradually accelerated until they were moving at an incredible rate. After about half an hour it slowed to a halt. Goku found himself staring at a cavernous entrance to a cave.

"Let's go," said Batman. He was already walking into the cave. Goku caught up to him quickly.

They made their way into a huge room. There were costumes in glass cases along the walls to the right and a large car sat directly in the middle of the room. Directly past the car was a cave and to the left of that was a wall of shelves filled with an assortment of what seemed to be models - a jack-in-the-box, a huge coin, a giant dinosaur - and then, beyond that, stairs. Batman had already gotten halfway up before Goku realised he had fallen behind again.

They emerged in the corner of a room the size of a football field. It was completely empty except for a large mechanical arm directly in the centre of the room. It was gripping a metal cube the size of a house.

"What do you use this room for?" asked Goku.

"This," replied Batman, "is where I'm going to train you."

* * *

"Stand down, Joker," said the Green Lantern. "It's over. You can't win."

"Can't I?" came a muffled scream from the inside of a large green ball. "Just how much energy will it take for you to hold me down?"

"I can go all day, Joker," said Green Lantern.

"Good!" screamed the Joker. "I've always wanted to see how long 'all day' is!"

"Commissioner, I'd like permission to take this creature back to the Green Lantern Corps," said Lantern, "if that's alright with-"

But he stopped because the Joker had started screaming. Over and over he screamed getting louder and louder each time. The green orb started to glow and anyone watching closely would have noticed Green Lantern starting to sweat.

And the Joker kept getting louder.

Now Green Lantern was shaking, closing his eyes in determination, trying as hard as he could to hold the Joker in. The glowing was getting brighter now and the outline of the Joker started to become apparent. Cracks began to appear in the ball and light was shining through them. Then, with a huge explosion, the ball disintegrated.

There was the Joker, right at the centre. "What's the matter?" he said, staring Green Lantern directly in the eye. "You're looking a little...green." He burst into a loud, cackling laugh. Then he jumped straight at Green Lantern's throat.

Lantern darted left but the Joker was on his tail. He reached for his leg and...BOOM! he flew headfirst into a green wall. He barely had a moment to register what had just happened when he was sent flying through the air by a giant green fist. Ok, now that was just mean and-

WHAM! The Joker was smashed into the earth by a giant hammer.

Perhaps it was the influence of Buu in the back of his mind. Perhaps it was the anger he felt at that moment. Whatever it was, it caused something to snap. He opened his mouth and shot a beam that hit the Green Lantern square in the chest.

Just like that, the hammer was gone. The wall too - and the fist.

He looked around for any sign of the Lantern. Nothing. It was as if he had vanished from sight. But there was a-

No. He couldn't have, could he?

The Joker grinned wickedly. Then he started to laugh. He laughed and laughed until he could barely breathe.

The Green Lantern had turned into a tiny green peppermint swirl.


	6. Chapter 6

"Kaio-ken!"

"Stop!" shouted Batman. "You shouldn't need to shout to use that. Again."

"But then how do I-"

"You push harder. Again!"

Goku was standing under an enormous block that was hanging from a large mechanical arm on the ceiling. He braced his arms and the arm started to drop lower and lower. Then it started to push on the top of the box. Goku's arms were shaking.

"Hold steady!" shouted Batman. "Now, on the count of three, like we practiced. One."

Goku's fingers were white.

"Two."

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, but something was happening outside. His eyes shot wide open.

"Three!"

Goku's leg snapped and he went down. The box shot down, stopping just a foot above him. Batman quickly pressed several buttons on a control panel in front of him. The mechanical arm lifted, pulling the box with it. He sprinted over to Goku.

"What happened?" he asked as he handed Goku a senzu bean.

Goku chewed and swallowed it. His leg snapped back to normal. "I don't know," he replied. "I felt a huge power spike earlier - but just now it vanished."

Batman frowned. "Lantern," he muttered. He walked back to the control panel again. "Again," he said.

Goku was already on his feet, but something was bothering him. "Hey...Batman-sensei?"

"What?"

Goku turned to look at him. "If I can sense Buu's energy," he said, "then what's to stop him sensing mine?"

"If this works," said Batman, "he shouldn't be able to. Besides, I've been observing you. I chose materials to build these walls whose density matches the vibrations of your ki. Assuming you don't do anything stupid, like find a third Super Saiyan transformation, everything should be filtered out."

Goku laughed nervously. "Actually," he said, scratching the back of his head, "now that you mention it-"

"You've found a third transformation?" Batman said, obviously shocked. "Then how did he manage to kill you so quickly?"

"I don't know. I didn't get a chance to use it. It was like he just...well, he surprised me. He pulled a knife on me and reinforced it with his ki."

"So the Joker made Buu stronger?"

"I suppose. Now that you mention it, he wasn't like Buu anymore. He was smarter."

Batman had already started preparing the controls. "Come on," he said. "We haven't got much time."

"But what if he senses my third Super Saiyan transformation?"

"If that happens," said Batman, "then he'll be the one in trouble."

* * *

There was a huge crash as the headquarters of the Gotham City Police Department was turned to rubble. The Joker hovered above, smiling.

"Anyone there?" he yelled. "Commissioner? I have this great joke. Why did the cop car cross the road?"

He scanned the area for signs of life. There, that had to be the Commissioner. He could sense his fear from here.

He laughed. "I don't know the answer!" he continued. "There was never anywhere to run to anyway!"

Commissioner Gordon was strapped into his chair in the back of a police van across from Harvey Bullock. The driver must have been going about a hundred miles an hour and Bullock was looking a bit ill.

"Harvey?" said Gordon.

"Uh huh?"

"Where are we going?"

"Best you don't know, boss," said Bullock. "That's what they said in training." He spoke calmly, but he was gripping his chair so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

Suddenly the back door of the van was peeled off like paper. The Joker stepped inside and grinned.

"So, tried to run, did we?" he said.

Bullock drew his gun and fired several rounds into the Joker. The holes just closed up. The Joker's grin grew wider and with a breath he knocked Bullock off his feet. He turned to the Commissioner and raised his hand to deal the fatal blow.

Suddenly, in a burst of yellow lightning, the Commissioner was gone.

The Joker spun around, confused. What on earth-?

"Ah," he muttered to himself, "we have another one."

Almost instantaneously there was another burst of lightning and a figure stood in front of the Joker.

"You're not getting near the Commissioner," he said.

"Hmm..." said the Joker. "We'll see what I can do about that...Flash."


	7. Chapter 7

Goku's arms were shaking now. The room seemed alive with energy as his hair started to change to a gold shade.

"Concentrate!" shouted Batman. "Ignore what's going on outside! Hold everything in!"

Goku screamed. His eyes turned blue, his hair turned gold, and then suddenly he was back. The box crashed down, once again stopping just a foot above him.

Batman sprinted over to him. "What's the matter?"

"He's gonna kill more," said Goku. "I'm picking up an extremely murderous aura."

Batman frowned. "Can you tell who's there?" he asked.

"Well...there's a small power level, but it seems to be moving extremely quickly. Not much strength, but that speed...I've never seen anything that fast."

"Flash," muttered Batman. He turned back to the controls. Then, "Get up Goku. Let's go again."

"No." Goku said, standing. "We can't leave this any longer. He's killing people now. We have to save them.

"The only way you're going to stop him is if you listen to me," said Batman.

"I can't let anyone else die," said Goku, walking towards the exit. "Maybe you can sit here and be heartless, but I don't have that in me."

Suddenly, Batman was in front of him. "Goku, I'm going to say this nicely just once," he said. "You're not going anywhere."

With a burst of light, Goku was surrounded by ki. "And I'm going to say this once," he replied. "Get out of my way."

* * *

The Joker was sitting beside a river. Walls of rock extended on either side of him. He didn't know how he'd gotten here and there didn't seem to be anybody around. And now the energy levels seemed all messed up. And his head hurt. And his vision was blurry.

He strained to see as the walls seemed to float back into focus. Wait...he'd seen this on TV at Arkham.

He was at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

He shook his head to try and get rid of that horrible ringing noise. It didn't come out. He'd probably have to train more if he wanted to get used to high speeds.

That red pest was bloody quick. That's alright though, he thought to himself. I'm only after the Commissioner.

He rose high into the air, far above the Grand Canyon, and tried to pick up Commissioner Gordon's power level. It was like sniffing out a rat. Like that police dog that had chased him down once that he had cut into little pieces and thrown at its owner. That guy hadn't lasted long. He had a cell in Arkham now.

A little tear ran down the Joker's face. Ah, good memories. Still, he couldn't become too distracted. Where was he? Oh. That's right. Gordon. Find Gordon. He scanned the area around him. There was Gotham - he'd know the energy of that city anywhere - but no Gordon. He went wider, further, sweeping across the planet, trying to find that puny little blip on his radar that would-

There! That was him. So the Flash thought he could hide there.

They were playing right into his hands now! Sure, Flash was trying to run him against a brick wall, but they didn't know. They couldn't know.

He set off as fast as he knew how. It wouldn't be more than a few seconds at this rate.

The Joker was heading straight for Metropolis.


	8. Chapter 8

Batman's face showed no emotion, but Goku knew anger when he felt it. Then Batman spoke with a voice that seemed to tremble with power. "You're not going outside," he said, "and that's final."

Goku was stunned for a split second. How could this man create such an incredible aura with such a tiny power level? It must be a trick, surely. A new technique he had yet to learn of.

Goku began slowly walking toward the exit. He didn't know why, but he felt the need to keep his guard up. Relax, he thought. Nothing can happen.

Batman pressed a button on his belt.

Suddenly Goku felt...weak. He couldn't explain it. He'd never felt this way before. He dropped to his knees and for a split second he thought he might pass out.

No. Stay awake. He looked straight at Batman, his gaze penetrating, intimidating.

But Batman wasn't there.

And just like that, the lights were gone.

Not just the lights. All the power levels had gone. Everyone. Everything. It was like the whole world had simply been plunged into utter darkness.

"Solar flare!"

Nothing. Not even a spark. Not a single ray of light.

Goku felt his way over to the wall. He needed to find the exit before things got worse.

Next thing he knew there was a whizzing sound and three sharp pains in his right arm. He looked down. There were three tiny lights, each one blinking and making a tiny beep every second. Then they exploded.

Goku was knocked onto his back by the force of the explosion. He tried to get up but his arm gave out when he tried to use it. He felt it. It was still there, but he couldn't move it. Whatever had hit him had found his pressure points - a nightmare for any martial artist.

He tried to calm himself. Breathe, he thought. You can't sense anything. You can't see. What can you hear?

There was a whizzing noise from his left. He dropped to the floor and something flew over him, just shaving a bit of his hair. He was back on his feet in blinding speed and the next second he dived straight at the source of those flying demons. His left arm closed around a leg. He felt the triumph of his victory. Surely, this fight was over now.

But just as he thought it, an arc of lightning appeared from his wrist to his shoulder. The pain was incredible. He could feel the muscles on the back of his arm tense up, gripping his hand even tighter around the metal boot he had grabbed. He could feel his arm burning.

But what Goku would remember most from that moment was what he saw. He looked up to see a figure surrounded by a cloak of black. His face was steady, his lips unmoving. His nostrils flared slightly as he drew deep, controlled breaths. And then Goku looked at his eyes. They were set deep into his sockets and almost hidden by the shadows, but they were not completely hidden. They seemed almost lifeless, cold as ice and hard as stone, yet they burned with passion and rage. Goku had imagined for a second that he would be staring into the face of some god-like creature, but this was no god. This was a demon.

For the first time in his life, Goku really knew what it was to be afraid.

* * *

The Joker flew toward Metropolis again. So far, he'd visited the Grand Canyon seven times, Alaska twice, and a tiny uninhabited island in the Pacific twelve times. The Flash seemed to like that island.

He could sense exactly where Commissioner Gordon was, but every time he got within ten feet of him, he was whisked away to some tropical destination. Only after he'd killed a few tourists on a bus had Flash started putting him on that boring island.

He went straight for the warehouse almost by instinct now, but this time he stopped far above it and thought about what was about to happen. As soon as his foot touched the floor he would be gone again. He needed to stop that from happening, but how?

He came closer. There were thirteen holes in the roof and the doors had been ripped off. He came closer still. He could see the Commissioner looking up at him, defying him to try to touch him. He could see the Flash beside him, the smug grin on his face growing wider with each second.

He floated straight toward the entrance. The Flash was ready to go. He bounced on the balls of his feet, almost rearing for another run.

The Joker appeared in the doorway. He could see the Flash about to take off. One more second and he would be gone again, back to that hellhole. He slipped his hand around the door frame.

The Commissioner's hair flew up and his tie was thrown over his shoulder. The Joker's feet went out from under him and he felt sick and dizzy. But he didn't let go of the door frame.

It wouldn't stop the Flash. In fact, it would probably be ripped out and dragged along for a few miles. It would slow him down though. Just enough to let the Joker react. He wrapped himself around the Flash's legs.

Suddenly, the Flash wasn't running anymore. He was rolling. Tumbling. And then the Joker came off.

When he opened his eyes they were in the middle of a cornfield. He could sense the Flash nearby. A hundred feet, perhaps less. He was there in a second.

There was the Flash, sitting on the ground, wheezing. One of his arms was snapped and the bone was sticking out, creating the odd illusion of three joints. There was a piece of fencepost sticking out of the side of his stomach and his suit was ripped and bloodied.

The Joker laughed. "Now, Flash," he said, patronizingly, "didn't your mother ever tell you about running in the halls?" Then he chuckled. "Don't worry," he continued, "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."


	9. Chapter 9

Goku opened his eyes and saw lights. They were blindingly bright and they made him squint. He put his hand in front of his face to block them and sat up.

"I fed you a senzu. You should be alright now."

Goku started. Batman was sitting beside him no further than three feet away. His calm manner seemed almost out of place, considering what had just happened.

"I want you to tell me what happened," said Batman.

Goku thought for a moment. "I lost," he said.

"Yes," said Batman. "Why?"

"I wasn't quick enough," said Goku. "I need to do speed training."

"Wrong," said Batman. "Your speed wasn't the issue."

"But if I had been quicker," argued Goku, "then I would have dodged those things you threw at my arm."

"Yes," said Batman, "if you had known what they were. But you didn't. Just for argument's sake, though, let's say you dodged my batarangs. Then what?"

"Then I attack you."

"And then?"

"Well..." Goku thought for a second. "I suppose then I would have got electrocuted then."

"Yes," agreed Batman, "and even if you didn't, there are a hundred other ways that I could have taken you down. Now listen very carefully. I blocked your ki because I knew the frequency at which you operate. I've done my research. I was prepared. Your first mistake was challenging me. Outside, not many people can beat me. Almost no one can beat me twice. But absolutely no one, not even the Blue Boyscout himself, could take me in this room. And that was your second mistake. You challenged me on my terms without practice, without preparation. Had I been the killing type, you would have signed your death warrant."

Goku was silent.

"Your mistakes," continued Batman, "are really one and the same. You didn't prepare. That's why, if you go out now, you'll lose. I won't stop you again, but he will. And trust me, when he gets his hands on you, you'll wish I'd killed you in here."

Goku thought about this for a while. Then he turned to Batman and said, "I'm sorry. I usually listen to those who train me. The truth is, I underestimated you."

"That," said Batman, "was your worst mistake. And, incidentally, my greatest weapon."

"Please," said Goku, "teach me how to fight."

Batman smiled. "Now you're learning," he muttered.

* * *

Commissioner Gordon was running. He'd seen that smile on the Joker's face. Far too long had he fought with that maniac to miss when he'd found the upper hand. He wished he'd had more time to warn the Flash.

But this was no time for regrets. He had to keep going.

"Oh, Commissioner!"

That was the Joker's voice. It was coming from the direction of the warehouse. So he had beaten the Flash after all.

Gordon turned sharply and sprinted down an alley. His eyes took in the darkness and started to adjust, but not quickly enough for him to avoid the homeless man sitting directly in his path.

He tripped over him and tumbled forward. There was a sharp pain in his wrist and he fought the urge to cry out. He knew almost immediately that it was broken, but he couldn't stop now.

He stood up and scanned the area for a way to escape. He saw a fire escape ladder and made straight for it.

Behind him he could hear the man he had woken yelling loudly at him. He ignored him. He pried a second-story window open and tumbled inside, taking care to shield his injured wrist. A door on the other side of the room was the only exit. Opening it, he saw a staircase that ran down on his left and up on his right. He sprinted down the left staircase as fast as he could manage. Better to be near the ground in case he needed to run again.

He heard a loud bang and the homeless man's voice disappeared. Gordon felt a pang of guilt. He had nearly hoped that the Joker wouldn't go after civilians while chasing him.

He reached the bottom of the staircase and spun around, about to head for the front door. The sight that met his eyes froze him in his tracks.

The Joker was standing directly in his path. In his hands was the head of the man from the alleyway.

"Ah, Commissioner!" said the Joker. "I knew you'd come this way, so I thought I'd wait here and head you off." He chuckled at his joke.

Gordon turned and sprinted for the back door, but the Joker had already grabbed the collar of his jacket. "Come on," he said. "We're going on a trip!"

Before Gordon could think about what he had just heard, he was out the door and flying a few hundred feet above the ground. Looking down he could barely make out any of the people walking along the streets.

"Look at the city, Commissioner," said the Joker. "Everyone running around like their lives are the only ones that matter. Here and there, not realising that they're just like tiny little insects, scurrying about with no purpose, just doing the same thing over and over and over." He gripped the jacket tighter and stared down at the street below. "I'll show them though," he said. "I'll destroy their pretty little world. Slowly. I'll show them how useless and pathetic their lives really are. And then," he said, looking back at Gordon, "everyone will see the truth! And you know what?" He pushed his face into Gordon's. "No one can stand reality," he said, smiling. "They'll all be driven round the bend. The whole world, stark raving mad. Just imagine it. There'd be no need for me! You'd all rip the world apart yourselves!" He tilted his head back and laughed.

And then the Joker wasn't there anymore. It took Gordon a moment to realise he was falling. He saw the ground travelling at him much faster than he would have liked. He thought of Barbara, sitting at home late at night while he worked late hours. He wished he'd spent more time with her.

He closed his eyes and waited for the end. He felt an impact and then a wrenching feeling in his stomach that reminded him of that one time he'd gone on a rollercoaster, only much worse. Was he dead? He opened his eyes. The ground was still there below him, but he was moving much slower now. His feet landed on it gently.

Superman stood beside him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

Gordon shook his head slowly. He was just piecing together what had happened.

"I'd get that to a hospital if I were you," said Superman, pointing to Gordon's wrist. "There's one just across the street."

Gordon looked down. In all the confusion, he'd forgotten about his wrist. As he stood there in shock, he felt a huge gust of wind and looked up. Superman was gone.

Gordon's brain kicked into action. He took his phone from his pocket and dialed the number for the Metropolis City Police Department.

The hospital visit would have to wait. The city needed to be evacuated.


	10. Chapter 10

The Joker opened his eyes. He was sitting in a junkyard half a mile outside of Metropolis. How had that happened? Had he blacked out? He stood and brushed himself down.

That's when he realised he was in a crater.

"So, the Man of Steel has joined the party," he muttered. "A bit late, considering."

"Sorry to disappoint," came a voice from behind him, "but I had a date with Darkseid when I got the distress call. I'm sure you'll understand."

"Excuse my impatience," said the Joker. "It's just that it isn't every day you take on the world's strongest hero in a fistfight."

"This won't be a fistfight, Joker," said Superman. "This will be a beatdown. I'm giving you one chance to stand down and turn yourself in."

"Ok," said the Joker, holding both wrists forward. "You win. Now an escape plan might be a good idea."

Superman gripped his arms. "Ever heard of the Phantom Zone, Joker?" he asked. "It's perfect for freaks like you."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about me," said the Joker. His arms began to swallow Superman's. "I was talking about you."

The last thing Superman saw before he blacked out was a wave of pink.

* * *

Superman opened his eyes. He was surrounded by what looked like giant tubes. It was hard to tell though, because it was dark.

"Joker!" he shouted. "Where are you?"

He heard the Joker's voice echo through the cavern. "I'm right where I was before," it said. "You're the one who's moved. You're in my head. Now, I know you'd normally go blasting through walls and tearing down buildings, but I might destroy the planet with an energy blast first. Just hear me out this time."

Superman thought for a moment. "You have one minute, Joker," he said.

"Great!" came the Joker's voice. "Now, I have a couple of questions. What do you keep in your head?"

"Your brain." Superman was getting irritated now. His eyes began to glow red.

"No! Your thoughts!" said the Joker. "And guess what I'm thinking of right now?"

Seven figures appeared around Superman. As they took form he began to recognise their likenesses - seven Bizarros, all grinning wildly at him.

"Let's see how you manage this!" came the Joker's voice.

But before he could finish speaking, two of the Bizarros' chests exploded. Superman had moved faster than Buu could see.

The other five leapt into action, but were annihilated with a laser blast.

"You have a weak imagination, Joker," said Superman. His eyes glowed red and he arced his head upwards. "I'm done here."

Suddenly, the room was filled with a green light. All around Superman appeared thousands of green rocks, illuminating the room with their evil glow. The air was filled with a green dust and Superman felt the strength drain from his body. He collapsed onto his hands and knees, wheezing in agony.

"Oh, fine, I'll use the kryptonite!" came the Joker's slimy voice. "I was going to have some fun, but you couldn't even take that. So I've given you just enough dust to weaken you. I'm going to digest you and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

The ground gave way beneath Superman and he fell. He remained conscious just long enough to hear a horrible cackling laugh from far above him.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hello. Commissioner Gordon to see Bill Henderson?"

"Right over there."

"Thanks."

Gordon jogged over to the desk indicated. "Bill," he said.

"Gordon! It's good to see you again!" said the man behind the desk. "What brings you to Metropolis?"

"I need a favour," said Gordon, "and you still owe me one."

"Anything, Gordon! Anything!" said Henderson.

"Thanks, Bill," said Gordon. Then he turned to the doorway. "Bring it up, Bullock!" he shouted.

"Bring what up?" asked Henderson. "What have I agreed to?"

"Best you don't know," said Gordon, "but we'll just be using the roof. Come if you want to see something special."

* * *

The Joker began to morph. His field of vision was turning red. A blast of heat vision erupted and he shut his eyes, trying to contain the power he felt.

But it kept on coming.

He began to float in the air. Higher and higher until he could feel the chill in the air. He opened his eyes. The heat vision had stopped. Everything had stopped. The only things moving were the clouds, slowly drifting past like giant sheep on a path to the slaughterhouse.

Everything was peaceful and the Joker didn't like it. But it didn't last long.

Almost at once he was hit with the voices. They began faintly but got louder and louder until it seemed his head would burst. He could hear everything - laughing, crying, screaming, shouting - all at once. It was chaos down there.

He loved it.

He started to float back towards the city. As he came out of the clouds, a light hit his eyes. A spotlight. He raised his hand to sheild his face. It seemed to be coming from the police headquarters. So, the police would try to blind him now, would they? He flew sideways to avoid it, but it didn't follow him. He turned to look at it and realised what it was.

There, on the clouds, was the image of a bat.

* * *

With a loud bang, the box above Goku's head flew into a thousand tiny pieces.

"I think you're ready," said Batman.

Just then, the wall seemed to open and an old man walked in.

"I believe there's something on the television you should see, sir," he said, as he pressed a button on a remote he was carrying.

The wall lifted higher and a large screen was revealed above the entrance. It was playing live news. An image of the batsignal was shown in the sky.

"Alfred, get the car ready," said Batman.

"That's not Gotham, sir," said the old man. "That's Metropolis."

Batman looked at Goku. "Can you teleport us?" he asked.

"Sure," said Goku. "I just aim for the huge energy signature?"

"Exactly," replied Batman.


	12. Chapter 12

"Home improvements!" shouted the Joker, as he blasted through a building with his heat vision. He looked around, admiring his work, then flew straight up into the sky. From here he could see the finished product. A giant smile of flames running right through the centre of the city.

Fire. What a wonderful invention.

Maybe he should go look into what was going on at the police station now. No doubt Commissioner Gordon would be there. And he didn't need that bat signal anymore. The Batman would know about this by now.

He jerked his head to the right. Something had appeared almost out of nowhere. A huge power level.

He should check this out.

He made his way straight for where it had appeared. Strangely, it had disappeared now, but it seemed to have originated at the police station. He'd be killing two birds with one stone.

As he came nearer he saw Commissioner Gordon with another guy there beside him. Surely they hadn't made that power surge just now? His heart pounded wildly in anticipation. Batman had to be involved somehow.

As he thought it, a figure stepped out from behind the spotlight. Batman. He handed the Commissioner a bean. How odd.

"So you finally made it to the party!" the Joker shrieked.

Batman pulled a box from inside his cape. "You made a mistake," he said. Then he opened the box and pulled out a lump of kryptonite. The Joker stumbled and fell forwards at the sight of it.

"You took on the strengths of the most powerful being on this planet," said Batman, "but you also inherited his weaknesses." He placed the rock right in front of the Joker. "You won't be able to move while that's here," he said.

The Joker smiled. "Oh well," he said, "it was fun while it lasted." Then his mouth opened wide and a head appeared. Superman emerged, unconscious. The Joker moved backwards, leaving Superman lying on the floor. Batman lifted him up and began to carry him towards the exit.

In a split second the Joker had cut him off.

"Where do you think you're going?" he said. "The party's just started!"

"This is the end, Joker," Batman said. "You've crossed too many lines today."

"So kill me!" said the Joker. "Or don't you have it in you?"

"I don't kill," said Batman, "but he does."

Commissioner Gordon watched the entire affair with remarkable calm. He'd seen the Joker try to make the Batman snap for years now. Then he heard Batman's words.

Gordon was baffled. Who? There was no one else up here. Worse, the Joker seemed focused on him now. For a fleeting moment he wondered if he would be killed here.

"You?" asked the Joker. "Are you the present he left me?"

It wasn't directed at Gordon. The Joker was focused on something behind him. Gordon turned to see a young man in a red jumpsuit standing beside Bill Henderson, who seemed just as shocked as Gordon to see him there.

"I'm him," said the young man simply. "Want to take this somewhere else?"

"No!" screamed the Joker, almost drooling in anticipation. "Let's do it right now!"

What happened next seemed to Gordon to play in slow motion. The young man crouched, as if ready to pounce. He seemed to wait there for an eternity. Then there was a slight ripple in his muscles and a streak of yellow shot towards the Joker.

Then the Joker was a bullet.

He flew backwards above the buildings of Metropolis, breaking what seemed to be every window in the city with his shockwave. A tiny moment passed and there was an explosion of earth from an area that seemed to be a mile outside the city. Gordon barely had time to turn his head to see everything. The young man was no longer standing behind him. He was on the edge of the building, one arm outstretched, fists clenched, his feet planted firmly in two small craters.

"I'll go get him," said the young man. Then he pointed at the bean in Gordon's hand. "You might want to eat that," he said. The next second, he was gone.

Dear God, thought Gordon. It was like watching Superman.


	13. Chapter 13

The Joker opened his eyes. This was the second time this had happened to him. It was getting old.

"Slow release. That was the problem."

The Joker looked to see who had spoken. It was that guy in the red from before, the one who had hit him. He was...Goku. That's right, he thought. Images started appearing in his head. Buu's memories.

"Slow release?" asked the Joker.

"Before, my transformations right up to Super Saiyan 3 were all slow. I was wasting immense energy on the transformation alone. Now, I use it all in one single blow."

The Joker barely had time to register what Goku had just said when there was a flash of yellow and he was flying again. This time he was going up. And Goku was there. He was headed straight for him.

Before he could think to move there was another flash of yellow and Goku's fists came crashing down on top of him. He had time to be reminded of his run-in with the Flash only to land directly in the middle of a junkyard.

He opened his eyes just as Goku's feet touched the ground again.

"You know, I really should thank you," Goku said. "Because of you I met Batman and discovered this new technique. But that doesn't mean I won't kill you. You're too much of a threat to Earth."

Joker looked at Goku with a blank expression. Then he began to laugh. He threw back his head and roared with laughter while Goku tried to understand what was going on.

"Oh, you're good," the Joker said. "You're very good. I haven't had this much fun in years." He smiled widely and looked Goku squarely in the eye. "But when it comes to being the good guy...well, you're no Batman, that's for sure."

He opened his mouth but the laugh that tried to come out was caught halfway when Goku's fist met the Joker's stomach. There was a flash of yellow and he was flying again. He saw Goku's hands by his side. And he knew what would come next.

"Ka...me...ha...me..."

The Joker's face twisted into an evil, menacing grin.

 _Let's see how Batman handles my parting gift_ , he thought.

"HAAAA!"

A beam of bright blue light shot from Goku's hands and shot straight toward the Joker. It hit and he could feel his body disintegrating. The Joker threw back his head and laughed. If they only knew.

His laugh echoed through the streets of Metropolis as he died.


	14. Chapter 14

A young reporter was standing in front of what seemed to be a junkyard.

"There are few who can forget the terrible events of last week," she said, "but for some, this has only brought them closer. The victims of the Joker's attack say that they've felt a wave of support from countless people they've never even met."

The shot changed to an elderly couple. "It's been incredible," the old man said. "We've been through hell, but the support has been amazing. I'm just thankful to those heroes who stood up for us. How they managed to save every single person is beyond me."

The reporter was back on the screen. "Earlier today, Bruce Wayne announced a donation of over three million dollars to help with the cleanup. While it's certainly not enough, it will go a long way to helping those affected by this tragedy."

Batman switched off the TV. He was standing in the centre of the Batcave, surrounded by Nightwing, Superman, the Flash and Green Lantern - all back to normal.

Goku stood alone in front of the screen.

"So that's it then?" he said as he turned to face Batman.

"That's it," said Batman. "Thanks for the use of the Dragonballs to resurrect everyone and for saving this planet. If there's ever anything we can do to repay you, just get Bulma to give us a call. She should know how to work that," he added, pointing to the phone-shaped device in Goku's hand.

"Oh, hey, it was nothing!" replied Goku.

"It was far from nothing," said Superman, stepping forward. "You saved us all. We owe you."

"Well...perhaps if you get some free time, we could spar," said Goku.

Superman smiled. "Unlikely, since Batman doesn't want to physically disturb the barrier between dimensions any more than necessary," he said.

"I think it's time for you to go back now, Goku," interrupted Batman. "We don't want to keep this portal open any longer than is necessary."

Goku smiled and walked towards the portal. Then he turned back to Batman and bowed. "Thank you for training me," he said. "I just have one more question. Where did you get all those senzu beans?"

Batman smiled. "I got three wishes," he said. "The first was your revival. The next was for a million senzu beans to appear in the Batcave. And for my third wish, I asked Shen-ron if you would be able to handle this new training."

"Wow," said Goku. "You really thought this through!" Then he turned and headed for the portal once again. "Goodbye!" he shouted as he left. "It was nice meeting you all!"

Then he was gone.

"Well, I gotta run," said Flash. "I haven't eating in nearly half an hour and I'm starving!" With that, he took off at breakneck speed through the exit tunnel.

"Much as I'd love to stay and talk, I've got things to do too," said Nightwing. "See you round, guys."

"I've got to go too," said Green Lantern as Nightwing disappeared into the elevator. Then he turned to Superman. "Let me know if you need any help with the cleanup," he said.

"Will do," said Superman.

Green Lantern smiled, then took off, heading out the tunnel the same way Flash had disappeared.

Superman looked at Batman. He had already turned back to the computer. "Thanks for everything," Superman said.

"You don't have to thank me," said Batman.

Superman opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. It didn't need saying. He smiled and flew through the cave after Green Lantern.

He emerged in downtown Gotham and headed straight for Metropolis. He could hear the sounds of people sitting down to dinner. The laughing, the happiness. Almost in defiance of the tragedy of last week.

He rose high into the air and listened to the sound of the world below. It was peaceful. But there would always be pain. He could hear a child screaming in hunger. A man wailing over his dead child. The groans of a mugging victim left for dead in an alleyway.

There was pain everywhere and there always would be.

And for some reason it made him want to laugh.


End file.
